Stop mechanism for knitting machines



Aug 8, 1939. J. wAcHsMAN ETAL 2,368.754

STOP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 27, 193e BY @5M fPatented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE STOP MECHANISM FORKNITTING MACHINES Jacob Wachsman and Michael Wachsman,

Brooklyn, N. Y.

This invention relates to improvements in stop mechanisms for knittingmachines of the type in which the bobbins are placed near the foot ofthe machine and the knitted fabric is rolled up into an overhead takeolf device which is placed above the knitting mechanism. In suchmachines it is desirable that the stop mechanisms, also called detectorunits, be placed high above the take off device to provide suicientlengths of yarn to be knitted into the fabric after the machine has beenstopped because of some accident tothe yarn.

The present invention has for its object to provide an overhead supportfor the detector units and includes certain improvements wherebyportions of said support may be moved aside for the sake ofaccessibility in removing the knitted fabric from the machine and forother purposes. Another object is to provide means for preventing theyarn from falling into the knitting mechanism because oi breakage orbecause the machine has been stopped to remove the roll of fabric.

Accordingly the invention is embodied in a stop mechanism for knittingmachines which is characterized by that the individual stop or detectorunits are mounted upon an overhead support part of which may beswingable or movable with relation to the machine for the purpose setforth. In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention Fig. 1 isa perspective View of a knitting may chine equipped with a stopmechanism according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View of a detector unit for stopping the machine whenthe yarn breaks or a knot occurs therein.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View illustrating the manner in which part ofthe unit support may be moved aside.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a modification.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 1 is an outline perspective view of the knitting machine drawn froma photograph of the actual machine which is well known to the art. It isnot necessary to enter into a detailed description of the constructionand operation of the machine. It is suicient for the purpose ofunderstanding this invention to identify the machine by its generalframework I which supports the knitting or needle cylinder mechanism 2.The framework includes a post 3 having an overhanging arm 4 forsupporting the take` off 5 in which the fabric 6 is rolled up into aroll 1.

As indicated the fabric leaves the needles knitted into a tubular formwhich is thereafter rolled into a roll I. The bobbins 8, only one isshown, are supported in a suitable manner at the foot of the machine.III indicates the handles for operating the usual clutch, not shown,whereby to stop the machine and start it again. Heretofore the yarnpassed from the bobbins to the needle mechanism direct. Attempts havebeen made to provide stop mechanisms between the 10 bobbinsy and theneedles but they have not been successful because they never providedsufficient yarn to be knitted into the fabric by the momentum of themachine after the power had been cut off. 15

In accordance with our invention we provide a framework l2 mounted ontop of the overhanging arm il. The framework may consist of crossedbraces I3 which carry the detector unit ring I4. VUpon the latter thereare mounted as many detector units l5 as there are bobbins. Each, unitconsists of a box I6 having contact springs Il adapted to be engaged bycontact heels I8 of the pivoted knot detector lever I8 and the pivotedend detector lever 20. The box carries a wire connector 2| and a xedelectric circuit terminal 22. When a knot occurs in the yarn the knotdetector leverl is pulled down and closes the circuit inside the box aswill be understood. Similarlywhen the yarn breaks or runs 30 out, theend detector lever 2G rises by gravity and likewise closesthe circuit.The operations of the detector levers and unit are well known in theart. The yarn passes through a suitable eye plate or like member 25 inwhich a knot-is 35 caught.

When therefore a knot occurs or the yarn runs out a well known stopcontrol mechanism indicated at 26 is actuated and its lever 2l knocksagainst a handle I@ so that the usual clutch, not 40 shown, is operatedto stop the machine. The U. S. Patent 1.345,455, February 16, 1932, toJacob Wachsman discloses fully a type of stop control which may be usedas indicated at 26.

Each unit may be adjusted circumferentially 45v as the frameworkindicated at I2 and I3. The ring I4 may be made of stiif or springymaterial and is conveniently split as at 40, Fig. 3, and the two parts4I and 42 adjacent the split may be moved aside whereby to form. an openspace in front of the fabric roll 'l so that the latter may beconveniently removed and whereby the yarns passing between the detectorunits and the bobbins are kept free and not tangled.

The stop mechanism as a whole may consist of the two rings I4 and 3435,which is preferable because itis desirable that the detector units beplaced as high as possible to provide a long run of the yarns, and thering 34-35 is of advantage in that it catches the falling thread or yarnand keeps it free from the adjacent threads or yarns so that broken endsmay be attended to quickly. The ring 34-35 being supported by thesprings 33 yields to the weight of the yarn or the pull thereof whenloose ends are tied together and thus facilitates the work.

There may be local conditions where it is desirable that the detectorunit ring I4 alone is desired or where the operator likes to have saidring placed lower. Whatever the height of the ring may be it isdesirable that the portion thereof which is immediately in front of theroll 'I be arranged to be moved `aside for access to the roll. A ring I4in position at about the level of the fabric roll 'I is not illustratedit being obvious that in such position the operator simply takes hold ofthe two parts 4I and 42 and swings them aside into the positions shownin dotted lines in Fig. 3. He now has room enough to reach in and removethe roll I or otherwise attend to the machine.

If the ring I4 is supported at some height above the roll I andtherefore ordinarily out of reach, the parts 4I and 42 may each beprovided with a handle 43 which may b e grasped by the operator to movethe parts aside. Preferably some means such as the arms 44 carryingspring clips 45 will be provided to engage the parts 4I and.42 to holdthem in open position. If the installation includes the ring 34-35 whichmay also be of springy material, the handles 43 will pass down insidethe ring 34-35 as shown in Fig. 1 and then both rings will `be opened byusing the handles 43. When the roll 'I or other matterhas been attendedto the two parts 4I and 42 are easily released from the spring clips bythe operator taking hold of the handles and move the parts togetheragain. At the joint of the ring or rings there may be an overlappingstop tongue 46.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which the ring I4 is formed withtwo arms 5I) and 5I which are pivoted upon a suitable ringy supportingframework 52. Each arm. has a short lever 513 and the tWo levers areconnected by links 54 to a two-armed lever 55. Either one of the pivotsof the arms 50 and 5I may then be providedl with a gear 56 which mesheswith another gear 5l upon a shaft 58. This shaft will extend down withinreach of the operator and have a handle 59 for operation thereof. Whenthe ring is to be opened the shaft 58 will be rotated and through theaforesaid means the two parts of the ring 5D and 5I will be moved aside.The construction shown in Fig. 4 is of advantage when the ring operatingmeans should preferably be located at one side of the machine. In thiscase the arms 44 may be dispensed with. Fig. 6 illustrates how thejoints 40 and 36 in the rings may be closed. One part of the ring mayhave an overlapping tongue 60 to be caught between overhanging lugs 6Ion the other part for good closure.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a stopmotion support which is ring formed, it will be understood that the sameidea of moving a part of such support aside for purposes ofaccessibility applies also to supports having other forms. It shouldalso be noted that Fig. 1 shows only one arm 44 for the sake ofclearness and that in this figure the arm is shown as being straight andnot curved as in Fig. 3. The illustration of the detector unit I5 inFig. 1 is wholly conventional.

We claim:

l. A stop mechanism for knitting machines which include a rotatableknitting mechanism, a bobbin placed below the latter, an upright posthaving an overhanging arm extending in over the knitting mechanism and atake off device suspended from said overhanging arm; said stop mechanismcomprising a detector unit under the control of the yarn passing fromthe bobbin to the knitting mechanism. and adapted to cause stoppage ofthe knitting machine when a yarn breaks or a knot occurs therein, a ringcarried by said overhanging arm for supporting the detector unit innormal operative position with relation to the knitting mechanism, partof said ring being movable with respect to another part thereof andmeans for moving said movable part of the ring to remove the detectorunit from its said normal operative position whereby to gain access tothe said take off device.

2. A stop mechanism, for knitting machines which include a rotatableknitting mechanism, a bobbin placed below the latter, an upright posthaving an overhanging arm extending in over the knitting mechanism and atake oif device suspended from said overhanging arm; said stop mechanismcomprising a detector unit under the control of the yarn passing fromthe bobbin to the knitting mechanism and adapted to cause stoppage ofthe knitting machine when a yarn breaks cr a knot occurs therein, adetector unit supporting ring secured to the overhanging arm, a yarncatching ring suspended from the unit supporting ring to catch the yarnfalling from the unit,v a part of each of said rings being movable withrespect to said rings and means for moving said movable ring parts toone side to remove the detector unit from a normal operative position onsaid machine to gain access to said take off device.

3. A st op mechanism for knitting machines which include a rotatableknitting mechanism, a bobbin placed below the latter, a nonrotatableupright post, an over-hanging arm extending from s aid post in over theknitting mechanism and a rotatable take off device suspended from saidoverhanging arm; said stop mechanism comprising a detector` unit underthe control of the yarn passing from. the bobbin to the knittingmechanism and adapted to cause stoppage of the knitting machine when ayarn breaks or a knot occurs therein, a nonrotatable framework forsupporting the detector unit over the take off device, the yarn passingfrom the bobbin to said detector unit and thence to the knittingmechanism.

4. A stop mechanism for knitting machines which include a rotatableknitting mechanism, a bobbin placed below the latter, a nonrotatableupright post, an overhanging arm. extending from said post in over theknitting mechanism and a rotatable fabric take off device suspended fromsaid overhanging arm; said stop mechanism comprising a detector unitunder the control of the yarn passing from the bobbin to the knittingmechanism and adapted to cause stoppage of the knittingmachine when ayarn breaks or a knot occurs therein, a detector unit supporting ring,means for securing the latter to the said overhanging arm above the saidtake off device and a bracket attached to the detector unit andadjustably secured to the said ring.

5. A stop mechanism for knitting machines which include a rotatableknitting mechanism, a bobbin placed below the latter, a nonrotatable ll5 upright post, an overhanging arm extending from said post in over theknitting mechanism and a rotatable take oi device suspended from saidoverhanging arm; said stop mechanism comprising a detector unit underthe control of the yarn passing from the bobbin to the knittingmechanism and adapted to cause stoppage of the knitting machine when ayarn breaks or a knot occurs therein, a framework secured to saidoverhanging arm above the same, a detector unit supporting ring securedto said framework, a bracket on said ring for adjustably supporting thedetector unit circumferentially of the ring and a yarn catching ringsuspended from the unit supporting ring tol catch the yarn falling fromthe detector unit.

JACOB WACHSMAN.

MICHAEL WACHSMALN.

